Wife of woman who murdered 23-year-old pleads guilty to tampering with corpse

2 murder suspects sentenced on lesser charge

Nina Marano and Charles Beltran were initially charged with the murder of Marisela Botello, but they pleaded guilty to lesser charges for their role in her death.

DALLAS - Two people arrested in connection to the 2020 murder of a Dallas tourist were sentenced to prison time this week.

Nina Marano and Charles Beltran were initially charged with the murder of Marisela Botello, but they pleaded guilty to lesser charges for their role in her death.

The woman with whom they were in a three-way relationship is serving life in prison for murder.

Lisa Dykes murdered Botello in a jealous rage in 2020.

Botello, who was visiting Dallas from Seattle, left a Deep Ellum bar with Beltran and went home with him.

Nina Marano (Source: Dallas County Jail)

While they were in bed, Dykes stormed into the room and stabbed Botello to death.

Dykes and her wife, Nina Marano, were in a three-way relationship with Beltran.

Marisela Botello-Valadez

Botello’s remains were found six months later.

Beltran, Dykes and Marano were on-the-run but were ultimately caught and charged with murder.

However, during Dykes’ murder trial in December, murder charges against Beltran and Marano were dropped.

Beltran cooperated with prosecutors and testified against Dykes.

Lisa Dykes shows no emotion to life sentence

It is life in prison for the woman convicted of murdering a woman visiting Dallas in a fit of ‘jealous rage.’ Lisa Dykes showed little emotion when she learned her sentence.

On Friday, Beltran was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to charge of tampering with human remains.

On Wednesday, Marano pled guilty to the same charge and was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Each were facing up to 20 years in prison, according to Marano’s attorney.

"She decided after talking to some very close family members, that this would probably be the best option for her," said Valerie Baston, Marano’s attorney.

Dykes was a paralegal and Marano was an attorney. They met while working together at the same law firm.

After being charged with murder, the couple posted bond, cut their ankle monitors and fled to Cambodia. They were captured.

Marano chose not to testify against Dykes, which potentially may have shortened her sentence.

"She just chose not to testify against her spouse," Baston said. "They’re still legally married… They’re not in communication with each other. I don’t believe there’s any animosity between the two."

Beltran’s attorney gave a statement to FOX 4:

"Mr. Beltran is relieved that Judge Mulder and the Dallas District Attorney’s Office showed mercy for his cooperation and participation for the prosecution of Lisa Dykes and Nina Marano. He accepts full responsibility for his decision not to call the police and is remorseful and regrets everything that happened to Marisela Botello and his actions after her death. Today, he was able to apologize to Miss Botello’s family, and standing steadfast with integrity and courage, he is glad he helped bring justice to the Botello family."

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